Make A Wish
by FlyAndDontLookBack
Summary: Kise doesn't know what to expect when he encounters teal-haired man who can't talk. It gets more complicated when he becomes attracted to him when Kise's supposed to marry the man's twin sister. Now, Kise has the task of getting closer to the man while figuring out just why he can't talk. kikuro. based on HOOD
1. The Eye of the Storm Will

**I don't even know anymore. I apologize for being so late.**

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 _ **Note: This story is loosely based off a Korean webtoon known as HOOD. All credits do not go to me but that author.**_

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"This is going to be shitty." Kise can't help but grumble. His mother immediately hits him on the head.

"Hey! The stylist took forever in getting my hair right. What'd you do that for?" He complains as he tries to rearrange back to the way it was.

"No words out of you. This a very prestigious family, and you're extremely lucky to have this opportunity, you got it? The daughter barely even goes out and is extremely stingy when it comes to picking a suitor. Luckily for us, she picked you. You are not going to ruin it, do you understand?" His mother reprimands. Kise merely groans.

"But really? Arranged marriage? At a time like this? It's not like it's the Middle Ages or anything! And I'm still too young!"

"You've just graduated university. You are not that young."

"Says the person who's hit fifty." Kise mumbles and that comment alone awards him another hit to the head.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that comment." She says and looks out the window, a sure sign that she didn't want to deal with Kise's antics anymore. His father, a good looking man with golden hair, much like Kise, chuckled as he patted his wife on the shoulder.

"Ryouta, it's only a dinner."

"But I know what you guys are planning. I don't even know how the girl even looks like! How am I supposed to marry her if I don't even know who she is?"

"We don't know for sure if you _are_ going to marry her. She has to see for herself as well, you know." His mother cuts in.

"Oh, so she's another one of those who only looks at physical appearance?" Kise harrumphes while crossing his arms in a childish manner.

"Don't look at us as if we're the ones at fault. You did get the best genes, I will admit." His father says smugly and his mother laughs. Kise can't even deal with their loving manner. It absolutely disgusts him.

"Are we almost there yet?" Kise complains and his father can't help but laugh and ruffles his hair. "Hey! I just said the stylist took forever it getting my hair done!"

"Even at the age of 23, you're still just our little Ryouta, aren't you?" He says with a smile on his face. Kise groans once more.

"You're not seriously going to reminisce about my childhood when you're shipping me off to lost cause, are you? That's just low, dad."

"That's how life is, Ryouta. We have to keep maintaining a high status in this society and to do that, we need our bloodline to marry and reproduce into the next high status generation. You understand, don't you?" Kise glares at his mother.

"So I'm just a tool is what you're saying, aren't you? It's all about the money for you, isn't it? Is that why you married dad? Because he was in a high position?"

"Ryouta!" Both parents yell at the same time and he realizes that he stepped off the line.

"Sorry." Kise mumbles and the limo is soon filled with silence. Then, it stops abruptly and Kise, who had been looking out the window, sees a small paper floating off into the distance.

"What's the matter? Did something happen?" His father asks the driver and the driver immediately bows his head in shame.

"I apologize greatly but I lost the paper slip with the directions on it. We've arrived but unfortunately, I don't remember which apartment number it was. Please forgive me." The driver says with a shaky voice and his father sighs.

"Well, at least we arrived. I'll just call him and get the apartment number. Thank you for driving us. You may go back to the mansion. I'll call you when we need you to come again."

The driver bows once more and turns off the engine. He rushes out and opens the doors for everyone to get off with their fancy suits and dress. The people roaming outside the luxurious apartment can't help but stare at the beauty that is the Kise family. Young girls especially start to fawn when they see Kise Ryouta, famous model and actor, right in front of them.

His father tsks as he puts his phone away. "He's not picking up his phone. Ryouta, can you ask someone which number the Kuroko family is in?"

Kise nods. "Sure," he says and looks around to see if anyone would know.

The Kuroko family was, despite its name being very well known and very rich, a conservative family who refused any kinds of interviews or public displays. No one knew much about them except that they were a family of three - the father, mother, and daughter - and the daughter was looking for a suitor that would marry into the family, who would ultimately become extremely wealthy as well. To this day, only Kise got the call that they would be having dinner, and he hadn't even known he participated in trying out to be a suitor. He has to blame his mother for that.

No one really sticks out to him and he's going to give up and ask one of the girls who had been standing right in front of him, fluttering her eyelashes in the hope of being noticed, when he sees a glimpse of unruly teal hair coming out of a building right next to the apartment he's at. He focuses greatly at that spot and jumps in surprise when he sees a man walking towards him. He was so sure there was no one there when he first inspected the place but nonetheless, he runs up to the person. Up close he can see just how small and pale he is.

"Uh, excuse me, sorry to disturb you but can I ask you something?" Kise asks and the man looks at him with slightly wider eyes. Is he surprised?

The man nods soon afterwards once he regains his poker face.

Kise smiles. "Do you have any idea where the Kuroko family lives? We're a bit lost and we have a dinner scheduled now."

The man does nothing for a few seconds, making Kise uncomfortable with the silence, but then he nods and Kise sighs in relief.

"Can you tell me the apartment number?" Kise asks but instead, the man starts walking and mid-step, he turns back and gestures at Kise to follow him. Kise's eyebrow raises but shrugs it off and tells his parents that he found someone who knew.

"What's the number?" His father asks and Kise shakes his head.

"He's going to show us the way." Kise replies and points at the teal-haired man in front of him. His father's eyes narrow. "Who?"

Kise's mother smacks him on the head. "Don't joke with us, young man."

"Ow, I'm not joking! He's right here!" Kise shouts and his parents jump when they finally see the man right in front of them, staring at them with blank eyes.

"Oh my goodness, I'm sorry. We didn't see you there." His father immediately apologizes but the man says nothing. He merely bows before turning back and walking again. Kise is one step behind him and soon afterwards, his parents follow.

"Did you see him in front of us?" His mother whispers to the father and he shakes his head.

"I had no clue."

"He almost gave me a heart attack, I swear. It's like he's a ghost or something."

Kise gets red tick marks. "You know, we can kind of hear everything." He comments and his mother blushes in embarrassment when she meets the person's gaze.

They arrive in front of the elevator and the person presses PH, the highest button. Kise's just about to say thank you for the help when the man enters the elevator with them. It's bigger than expected so it wasn't crowded with four people but Kise still feels uncomfortable. His parents are off in the corner whispering to each other about business related information, so he's alone with the mysterious person. He decides to be friendly.

"Thanks for helping us." Kise starts and the man simply nods. Kise rubs the back of his neck as his eyes stay on the teal-haired man.

"Uh, my name's Kise Ryouta. And yours?" He tries once more. The man stiffens for a split second but it's long enough for Kise to see. He scrunches his eyebrows in confusion.

"Hey, are you ok?" He asks in worry but before the man can do anything, the elevator opens up and a gigantic golden door awaits them. Kise can't even suppress his surprise as his eyes grow wide. Was it even possible to have that big of door in an apartment? Even his parents are shocked.

"As expected of the Kuroko family. They truly do live in greatness, don't they?" His father comments and his mother just nods, obviously still surprised.

"Ah, thank you for -" Kise tries to thank the person once more but his words are cut off when the man opens up the password lock and punches in several numbers in secret. The door soon opens and the four are greeted by an array of maids and butlers.

"Welcome home, Tetsuya-sama." They all say in unison and the man bows before heading in. He turns back for a second before walking inside and Kise's mouth falls open. The person was part of the Kuroko family? Didn't they just have a daughter?

"Ah, you must be the Kise family. Please, come in." One of the maids says as she ushers them in and another leaves the room to inform the head of the Kuroko family. They all enter and as soon as they take off their shoes, a man with black hair and a confident aura surrounding him enters the room.

"Welcome to our home. Did you have trouble coming?" He asks and Kise's father shakes his head with a smile on him.

"Not at all. Thank you for inviting us." He says and the two men shakes hands.

"Kyoko, come on out. Our guests have arrived." He calls out and soon, a petite, beautiful woman with the same shocking teal hair as the man appears with a soft smile on her face.

"Hello." She says timidly and she also shakes hands with Kise's father.

"Hello. Ah, it seems we haven't introduced ourselves yet. My name is Kise Akito and this my wife, Hikari."

"Well, I'm Kuroko Eiji and my wife, Kyoko. You may call us my our given names." Eiji says and Akito nods.

"You may do the same. Oh, and this is our son, Kise Ryouta."

"Hello, nice to meet you." Kise puts on his fake cheerful appearance. He gives the Kuroko family his signature model smile.

"Our daughter is still getting ready, so why don't we go to the dinner table? She'll join us shortly." Eiji says and as they move to the dinner table, Kise finds himself almost drooling with the variety of food laid out on the table and Kyoko laughs a bit.

"My, you must be hungry. Hope you enjoy the food." She says and Kise blushes slightly before nodding.

"Thank you." They all take a seat as maids go back and forth, serving them water and putting more food on the table. Eiji looks at the clock before sighing.

"Why do women take so long in getting ready? Teru, honey, are you done yet?" He calls out.

"Almost!" A high pitched, softer voice rings out and Eiji shakes his head before smiling at Akito.

"Women." He says and laughs when Kyoko slaps him on the shoulder lightly.

"We don't take that much time, Eiji-kun." Kyoko reprimands jokingly.

"Tell me that when you take less than an hour to get ready for a simple dinner date, sweetie." Eiji counters and everyone at the dinner table laughs. Then, someone enters the room and Eiji gives her a big smile.

"What took you so long?" He asks the petite woman and she twirls.

"Getting all the right stuff in all the right places." She responds and when her eyes fall on Kise, she smiles even bigger.

"Hi, I'm Kuroko Teru. Nice to meet you." She says before giving everyone a curtsy. Kise stands up respectfully and bows.

"Nice to meet you, too. I'm Kise Ryouta." He says with his model smile and she blushes, just like every other woman does. She runs up to her father and squeals how she made the right choice before taking a seat right next to Kise.

Then, Kise notices that the person who had helped them before hasn't come out yet. They're all getting ready to eat but Kise stops them at the last second.

"Excuse me, but aren't we still missing someone?" He asks and the ambience suddenly gets cold as the Kuroko family all narrow their eyes.

"Who are we missing?" Eiji says in a cold tone, one they never heard before, and Kise gulps.

"There was a man about Kuroko-san's age who helped us a bit earlier in getting here." Kise explains while pointing to Teru, and Eiji's eyebrow raises.

"Is that so? Well, he won't be joining us any time soon. Please dig in." And with that, the conversation ends and the regular cheerful mood returns.

Teru leans in closer to Kise. "So, Kise-san, what do you do for a living? I heard you already graduated from the Tokyo university."

"I work as a full time model now. I've had the job since I was in middle school."

"For that long?" Teru exclaims with a smile on her face. "You do have the looks for it. Maybe I can see some of your pictures. I'm sure they would be very beautiful."

"Thank you. Are you still attending university, Kuroko-san?"

"I am, and you may call me Teru, if you wish." She says and Kise shakes his head.

"I dislike calling people by their given names until I've gotten closer to them. Thank you for the offer but I'll have to decline."

Teru nods. "Understandable. Well, maybe after we've become closer, you can call me by my given name and I yours."

"Maybe so." Kise gives her a fake a smile and the dinner goes on like this, with fake smiles and the uncomfortable feeling Kise can't shake off. He's sure it's because of the aloof man he had met before. He had a feeling that something wasn't right, both with him and the family, and as a naturally curious person, he needed to figure it out.

So, halfway through the dinner, he excuses himself to go to the bathroom. Eiji calls a maid to guide him through the house and once he's far enough from them, he drags the maid to a corner. She, surprised, follows him involuntarily and he shushes her when they stop.

"Who's the man who came with us?" He asks and the maid, who just got out of her stupor, looks at Kise strangely.

"Tetsuya-sama? He's the twin brother of Teru-sama, though she doesn't want to admit that she has a brother."

"What? I thought the Kuroko family only had a daughter. They had twins?" Kise says in shock and the maid bits her lip.

"I'm sorry, but I can't say more." She tries to escape but he grips her arm.

"Wait, where is he right now? I want to see him. Please?" He begs and the maid looks at him conflicted before sighing and leading him to a paint door that doesn't seem to be adorn with anything, unlike the other rooms.

"I will stay with you here since Eiji-sama asked me to guide you, but please hurry or else he will think something is suspicious."

"Why would he think that, though?"

"I'm sorry. I cannot say. Please, hurry." The maid evades the question and Kise decides to let it be for the time being. He knocks on the door softly but there's no answer. The maid takes over and knocks once more.

"Tetsuya-sama, Kise-sama is here to see you." There's a silence before the two hear ruffling sounds and the door slowly opens. Kise's golden eyes meet with sky blue ones and they seem curious to see what's going on.

He opens the door all the way and looks at the maid. She, in turn, rubs the back of her neck.

"I'm sorry to disturb you Tetsuya-sama, but Kise-sama wanted to talk to you about something." The man, or Kuroko Tetsuya, starts making weird gestures with his hands and Kise realizes that he's talking to the maid using ASL.

"Yes, I know he's supposed to be at dinner but he insisted on meeting you." She says.

"You know ASL?" Kise asks in surprise and the maid nods.

"Please, say what you need to but we really do need to go back soon." The maid says desperately and Kise nods.

"Hey, why aren't you joining us? Aren't you part of this family?" Kise decides to say bluntly and the maid gasps in shock. Kuroko, however, has no reaction whatsoever. He looks at the maid and makes more hand gestures and she nods.

"He says that he's not hungry as he already ate and it would only be awkward if he joined them."

"But why? It'd definitely be more lively with you around."

More hand gestures. "He says it wouldn't be. And he's asking you to go back and entertain his sister; that she probably feels lonely right now. I agree. Kise-sama, I apologize but we really need to go." The maid says and Kise sighs, relenting.

"Ok, sorry. I'll be right there. I'm sorry I bothered you." Kise says and the man nods before closing the door.

Kise doesn't want to leave, wanting to ask him more questions, so the maid has to pull him away from the door. They start walking back to the dinner table and the maid looks at Kise with an unreadable look.

"Is he deaf? He seemed to understand everything I said." He whispers and the maid shakes her head, surprising Kise..

"No, he isn't."

"What? He's not? But you were using ASL with him!" Kise comments and the maid bites her lip. It's evident that wasn't supposed to come out. "Wait, if he's not deaf then, what's wrong with him?"

The maid shakes her head. They're almost back at the dinner table. "That is something Tetsuya-sama must say for himself. Even we do not know. Now come. Everyone is waiting for you."

And before Kise knew it, he got himself caught up into something he would never get out of.

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 **Like I said, I don't even know anymore. I've been away for too long and instead of uploading something you guys were probably waiting for, I ended up with something like this. I've had this idea for way too long and I really wanted to write about this, so I did. And I hope you liked it.**

 **It's obvious from the lack of uploads that I won't be able to write as much as I used to, much less for Fanfic. It's terrible because I'm losing more passion for my stories everyday but hey, let bygones be bygones.**

 **Hope you like this story and please prevail with me even when it seems like I'm dead.**

 **Peace,**

 **FlyAndDontLookBack**


	2. Slowly but Surely

**I'm back with another chapter! Aren't you surprised by the sudden upload? Oh, you're not? Well then... um... just enjoy the chapter then.**

 **So, just a little update on what's happening in my life before you start:**

 **1\. I have started writing a new story that will not be uploaded until I finish the ENTIRE thing. Ever since I started writing fanfic, I've never actually written the entire thing first and then uploaded. I mostly just winged the entire plot, hoping things would fit, but I want this new story to work.**

 **I'll give you a little summary, so you have a little something to keep in mind when I finish: It's MidoTaka in a zombie apocalypse. Not saying anything else, but it will include most of the major characters and yes, there will many deaths (it's a zombie apocalypse; it's impossible _not_ to have deaths).**

 **I am writing the whole thing, and I will keep revising it until I get it to be perfect. I want all emotions to be portrayed well, and the only way to do that is to write up to the conclusion, where it will (hopefully) the most impactful. Of course, I'm going to try and put many of those but until then, please await eagerly.**

 **2\. Because I'll be focusing more on the story I'm writing and it's the start of a new semester for my high school life, I won't be able to upload as much as I would like. The only reason I could write this is because we're in a long weekend and I have time. However, please know that uploading weekly is just not possible for me anymore. Please understand and still follow me as much as you can :)**

 **3\. I have FINALLY uploaded for _A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words._ If you don't know it, try reading it. You might like it enough to follow it (or not, I don't mind). I've also updated the poll on my profile for this story, so don't forget to check it out and vote!**

 **That's it for me (what a handful), and so, without further ado, here is the next chapter!**

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 _ **Note: This story is loosely based off a Korean webtoon known as HOOD. All credits do not go to me but that author.**_

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It's not long until Kise forgets the mysterious teal-haired man. To be honest, Kise didn't think he would forget that quickly, in two days to be more precise. Then again, it wasn't really Kise's fault. After the success of the dinner between the Kise family and Kuroko family, Kise's father decided that it would be best to move somewhere close to Kuroko Teru, mainly the apartment building in general. They got their suite, the penthouse of course, and while they weren't the same building, Kise's family was just a walk away.

Through all the packing and moving, Kise had no choice but to leave his thoughts of the teal-haired man, and he never would have remembered his existence had it not been for another faithful day, this time inside the pool area.

When all the moving is done, Kise's parents urge him to go out and check the area out, see potential resting areas and lounges. Kise shrugs, knowing that it's just a excuse for him to leave the house and his parents alone to whatever their antics, and he doesn't complain. He actually wants to leave, anyways. Checking that all the luggage and servants have settled in had hampered his stamina, and he needed some fresh air from the all the dust.

He packs everything necessary for an indoor pool, a pair of swimming boxers, a towel, and a bathrobe, and heads for the pool. He checks the windows and sees that it is barely packed, which makes him smile as he doesn't really like crowded places - ironic, he knows - and swiftly goes inside.

The person at the desk, a woman in her thirties, looks up from her phone and does a double-take when she sees Kise. In Kise's imagination, her eyes are bulging out like how characters do in cartoon shows. She stammers where he's headed today, and he remembers that there's not only an indoor pool but many other activity areas like tennis courts and the recreation lounge, and he points to the big doors in front of him with his model smile. She sweats as she asks for his name and pushes a button that makes the pool doors open inside out. He smiles once more before entering, leaving the woman to her imagination.

When he gets there, he's the center of attention. Everyone in the pool looks at him, either in awe or flattery. Kise sighs, already used to the stares, and settles himself to the more isolated place in the pool, the back corner where there isn't much sunlight to reflect from the windows. Kise hopes that no one bothers him, but he knows that his wish can't come true, because at that moment, all the women barge towards his way, pushing and clawing at each other to get the seat next to the one and only Kise Ryouta.

An attractive woman who looks older than Kise wins, successfully pushing away everyone else. Her thick brown hair is tied to a loose ponytail, and her hoop earrings jiggle as she walks forward. Her bikini, with which neon pink and has laces around the chest, is a bit too revealing and honestly, too tacky for Kise's taste. She has a skinny figure, one that many models have, and her face is almost completely symmetrical. She's very attractive, Kise admits, but the scary smile she puts as she wins the battle ruins her whole appearance, and he knows that she must be a horrible person in real life, bullying and insulting those who cannot have the same attractiveness as she.

Nevertheless, he doesn't voice any distaste, merely staring at her with unreadable eyes, and she's about to sit next to him when she suddenly yelps. Kise looks at her strangely, as does everyone else, and they all look at the seat she was about to sit in. All their eyes grow wide and whispers break out immediately. Kise looks at them weirdly, wondering what they just saw, so he looks himself and he has to rub his eyes a few times to see if they're lying to him.

They're not.

Because even after rubbing his eyes, he still sees the mysterious teal-haired man sitting in the seat next to him leisurely, reading a small pocket book with a shirt and swimming boxers on. A grey hoodie is neatly folded to make a make-believe pillow. He doesn't even look at the crowd before him or acknowledge the whispers that are all directed towards him, wondering when and how he got there without anyone knowing.

Kise becomes skeptical. Maybe the maid was lying. Maybe he _was_ deaf. He didn't look like he even knew there were people in front of him, and it didn't seem like he was listening to any of the gossip.

Then, it struck him that he had completely forgotten about Kuroko Tetsuya, the man whom Kise vowed to know more about. He looks at the man next to him sheepishly, which is lost on the invisible man as he doesn't look like he knows Kise is even there.

The woman clears her throat, regaining her composure after the shock of seeing a person that was not there before. "Excuse me, that's my seat. Can you move?" She says, and Kise doesn't like the way her voice implies snakiness and an overall bitchy tone. Generally speaking, it was Kuroko who was there first. She had no right to make him move.

Kuroko does nothing at first. He merely flips a page in his book, eyes focused on the passage bestowed upon him. The woman gets antsy, and after a few seconds or so, she huffs.

"Excuse me, did you not hear me? You're in my seat." She emphasizes, making her less attractive to Kise by the second. She gives Kise a smile, predicting that she was not making a good first impression, and when Kise turns his head aside, not willing to give her any response back, her face falls and her anger directs towards the teal-haired man.

"Excuse me? Are you deaf or something? _You're in my seat._ " She repeats one more time, and finally, Kuroko Tetsuya lifts his head slowly, if not deliberately. He stares her with blank, unnerving eyes, making the woman uncomfortable, but she stands her ground. Everyone is watching from behind, wondering what will happen next. Even Kise wants to know now.

The woman's eyebrows raise, waiting for the man to answer her, and Kuroko's shoulders slowly rise and fall, as if to signify an annoyed sigh. Kise smiles for some reason, and it's not long until he wants to laugh. Even without changing his face expression, everyone can see that Kuroko feels immensely annoyed.

Something unexpected occurs. Everyone, especially Kise and the woman, is baffled when Kuroko reaches from behind and brings out a whiteboard and marker casually, as if he had done this millions of times. Kise wouldn't be surprised if that were true. Kuroko started writing something in perfect calligraphy and soon lifted it up for the entire crowd to read.

 _'This is my seat. You have no right to take it.'_ It says and the woman's face reddens.

"What are you, retarded? Can't you talk?" She insults, having nothing better to say, and instead of insulting her back or at least denying the insult, Kuroko merely shakes his head.

 _'I cannot.'_ He writes after erasing his last sentence. Kise takes his chance to interrupt.

"I'm sorry, but he was here first. I don't think you can order him around like that." Kise says breezily but gives her a cold glare. She freezes when she sees. She tries to say something to redeem herself, but Kise cuts her off. "And next time, don't insult someone for their disabilities. Didn't your parents teach you proper manners?" Kise comments coldly, and the woman, embarrassed, leaves the area, shuffling her feet as fast as she can. The others follow, all feeling the cold rage Kise is radiating. Even they're not stupid to hang about after all that.

The swimming pool is soon barren, with only a few people who had no part in the fiasco still in their seats, resting and quietly talking to each other. Kise sighs in relief and turns to Kuroko Tetsuya, who has put his whiteboard away and has started reading once more.

"Hey, do you remember me?" Kise asks to grab the Kuroko's attention. He nods once and goes back to reading. Kise holds back a frustrated grunt. It's so hard to keep a one-sided conversation. It's awkward and Kise would rather not have this.

"So, why weren't you in dinner last time?" He casually brings up, hoping that he would get an answer, and Kuroko tilts his head. His eyes are blank, but Kise knows he's saying something along the lines of, _'I thought I told you I was not hungry.'_

Still, he wants Kuroko to respond, at least with the whiteboard, so that he can keep the conversation going.

Thankfully, Kuroko takes out his whiteboard and writes exactly what Kise was thinking.

 _'I was not hungry.'_ It says and Kise gives him a look of disbelief.

"I doubt it. It was dinner time. Of course you'd be hungry. Did you just not want to eat with us?" He asks bluntly, his puppy dog look unintentionally coming out. Kuroko looks visibly surprised by Kise's sudden question.

He immediately scribbles something. _'I am telling the truth. I was not hungry at the time. I had no reason to stay at a dinner table if I was not going to do anything.'_

"Even still, you could have joined in on the conversation. We talked about a lot of things, you know?" Kise says, happy that Kuroko has responded.

He's then surprised by Kuroko's question. _'What did you talk about?'_

Kise ponders, putting his hand on his chin and making it seem like he's stroking a beard. He looks at the corner of his eye for a reaction - normally, everyone laughs when he does this - and when there's nothing from the man, he stops.

He starts scratching his head instead, actually thinking this time. "Well, we mostly talked about the our family, what we all do for a living, what _I_ do for a living, and the businesses my parents have. It was very interesting. We talked about me all night long." Kise jokes egotistically but Kuroko merely stares, making Kise feel embarrassed and uncomfortable. Why wasn't this man responding to any of his jokes?

"So," he begins, changing the conversation, figuring out nothing would work on the smaller man, "What did you do, then, while we were eating?"

Instead of answering, Kuroko asks, _'What do you do for a living?'_

"Eh? You don't know?" Kise asks, genuinely surprised, his question thus completely forgotten. He knew that he wasn't one of the most famous models around the world, but judging by the dinner last time, it seemed like the Kuroko family knew a lot of about him. When Kuroko stares at him curiously, he shrugs. "I work as a model and actor. Been in several movies, even. You've never read magazines before? I'm pretty much everywhere." Kise replies, trying not to sound like an arrogant bastard.

Kuroko shakes his head, unaffected by his remarks, leaving Kise confused. "Then, outside. There's at least always one billboard with my face on it. Just outside the area, there's an ad of me posing next to _CAS_ beer. You've never seen that, too?"

Kuroko shakes his once more, and writes something on the whiteboard. When he shows it to Kise, his mouth falls open in shock.

 _'I've never been outside other than the apartment area.'_

"Are you - are you serious?" Kise stutters in complete disbelief. "You've never been outside? Never been to malls, movies, nothing?"

Kuroko shakes his head, his expression turning gloomy, and Kise knows what he has to do to get to know him better, and potentially make Kuroko's life better as well.

"That's it. I'm taking you out." Kise declares, standing up and putting a hand on his chest jokingly. Kuroko looks at him in surprise, his eyes widening slightly, and immediately shakes his head. Kise's plan deflates in a second.

"Why?" He whines, going back to his seat and facing him.

Kuroko writes. _'My parents forbid me to go outside.'_

"What, why? It's not like there are monsters or anything. And it's not like anyone can see you without really trying." Kuroko's eyebrows furrow. "I mean," Kise tries to take back, but says nothing to refute his original statement. His head lowers. "I apologize if that made you offended in any way." He says, his stance almost turning into that of a shrinking turtle.

His day instantly gets better when he sees a small smile lighting up Kuroko's face.

* * *

"So, what do you say? Wanna break some rules?" Kise asks as they walk out of the pool. The woman at the desk is gone, replaced by a man instead, and he greets Kise happily.

"Have a nice day!" The man calls out and Kise smiles back at him. Kuroko is silent like aways, his whiteboard and book tucked under his arm while his eraser and marker are inside his hoodie pockets. It's sunny, scorching even, yet it doesn't affect Kuroko in the slightest.

Kuroko begins contemplating it, and Kise takes that chance to further persuade him.

"I can show you all the awesome places out here. There's this really good cafe that serves you this amazing rainbow drink with crushed ice and it glows with the light, and there's also this mall that is twice the size of this apartment," when Kuroko gives him a wide-eyed expression, Kise chuckles, "I know right? It's huge. Anyways, there's that mall, and…" His words trail off when he sees someone running towards them, waving her hands politely.

"Kise-san!" Kuroko Teru yells as she runs towards him and Kuroko, her custom-made pink summer dress moving to the beat of the wind. Kise curses silently when he sees her. It's not that he doesn't like her but he was so close to having a day out with Kuroko Tetsuya, which was now ruined.

She stops in front of him, smiling while adjusting her dress. The small roses at the edge of dress flutter even after she stops. The summer breeze is cool enough to make everyone soothed and calm. Well, at least that was what Kise thought. "I heard you're living in this area now." She says, patting her summer dress lightly.

Kise nods. "I am. I live at the apartment next to yours."

"Penthouse?"

"Obviously." Kise says, putting on his model facade. It never fails to move his audience, and Teru is no exception. She giggles and then she does a double-take when she sees her twin brother. Her face turns into disgust as her eyes narrow and one of them even twitches.

"What are _you_ doing here with Kise-san?" She asks as if she were talking to a cockroach. Kise can't help but feel immensely shocked by the sudden change in her behavior. It was like last time as well, Kise remembers, when he had mentioned Kuroko in front of the family and they immediately pretended he wasn't part of the conversation, part of this world even.

Kuroko unhooks the whiteboard from his arms and takes out his marker. He scribbles something before showing it to Kise. _'Goodbye, Kise-san.'_ There's no implication that Kuroko is going to meet Kise again, and that scares him.

He walks away without another glance, hurrying to leave the crowd, and Teru's face reverts back to her happy self.

"So, what were we talking about?" She asks, but Kise's not listening. He's staring at Kuroko, who's close to entering the apartment building, and he can't help but that think that he was so close, so close to understanding why Kuroko just can't speak. There's no explanation for it, and he's sure Kuroko would have told Kise the first time they met if he had a disease of some kind. It was ambiguous, left in the dark, and it frustrated Kise to a large extent that he just couldn't figure it out.

And what was that reaction? Why was Kuroko to intent on leaving him? Was it because of his sister? What was their relationship? Why was it like this?

"Kise-san? Are you ok?" Teru asks worriedly, touching Kise's bare shoulder lightly, shyly. She even blushes a little, but he's paying no heed.

He makes the mistake of ignoring Teru and runs up to Kuroko instead. Teru just stands there, shocked at the rejection she's just witnessed. When Kise arrives, Kuroko immediately turns to him with a look of… terror?, Kise deduces uncertainly, as he scribbles something hastily, perfect calligraphy be damned.

 _'Go back to my sister, now.'_ It says, and with that look, even the oblivious Kise figure out that it's extremely urgent. Kise doesn't know what to do; he's torn between asking why and just going back like Kuroko has ordered him to. It's not everyday when an extremely modest man like he orders someone around. Turns out, he doesn't even have to go back. Teru's already caught up to them.

She reads the whiteboard before Kuroko can erase it. Sh pushes Kuroko, making him stumble and fall to the ground. The whiteboard is chucked away, along with his other belongings. Kise tries to intervene by trying to help him up but Teru blocks his way, standing in front of Kuroko menacingly.

"Who gave you the right to order Kise-san around? You don't even have the right to be called a human." Teru sneers, her voice sharp and loathing. Kuroko doesn't dare look at his twin sister, and for some reason, Kise sees a poor, abused puppy that doesn't want to get hurt anymore.

"Hey, that's enough." Kise finally says, putting his hand on Teru's shoulder. She turns to Kise and the loathing look she once had changes back, happy and cheerful, like he once thought she was. Kise's eyes narrow, completely seeing through the facade she's put on.

"I'm sorry, Kise-san. Were you trying to say something?" She asks sweetly, Kuroko completely forgotten and still on the ground, not even daring to move a muscle.

"It's one thing to push your brother down; that's fine. It's just playful banter between siblings. But it's another thing completely to deprive them of their rights as humans. You, as person, should not say those kinds of things." Kise reprimands harshly, covering the view of Kuroko as if to protect him.

Teru says nothing, and to Kise's surprise, her face crinkles into one of distaste. "I don't have a brother." She says coldly and huffs as she shakes Kise's hand from her shoulder.

She then starts walking back to the apartment, not even glancing at her brother. "I will see you around, Kise-san." She calls back in a solemn voice before she goes out of sight. Kise shakes his head, his mind filled with perplexing notions, and extends a hand to Kuroko, waiting for him to take it.

Eventually, he does. He helps Kuroko stand, and Kise grabs the whiteboard that had previously been thrown away. Kuroko scampers to get his other things, dusting off his book and holding it dearly. Kise tilts his head and sees the title, _'Asian Folklore.'_ It looks extremely tattered, as if it's been read several hundred times, and Kise wonders if there's anything interesting enough to make Kuroko read it that many times.

The phrase on the whiteboard is still visible, though a bit erased, and Kise can detect some shaking lines on the kanji. Had Kuroko been shaking when he wrote this?

He returns it back to Kuroko, who now won't look at Kise in the eye.

"Are you ok?" Kise asks cautiously, moving beside him, trying his best not to invade the man's personal space. Kuroko says nothing, lowering his head to prevent Kise from seeing his face with his long, covered bangs. Kise sighs, combing his hand through his hair in stress.

"Are you hurt?" He questions. Kuroko soon shakes his head, but does nothing with the whiteboard, and Kise knows he's blown it. He's never going to get closer to this mysterious man.

"Hey, look, I-" Kise tries to apologize, but he stops when surprisingly, Kuroko does start writing something on his whiteboard.

 _'Why did you not leave? Why did you follow me?'_ The whiteboard says in big, black letters, and Kuroko looks absolutely miserable. And it's all Kise's fault.

"I'm sorry. I- I panicked." Kise tries to justify, but his remarks are extremely weak and not persuasive at all. He's not the actor he normally is.

They both stand there in an awkward silence, and just when Kise's about to sigh and leave, apologizing for his behavior, Kuroko focuses on his whiteboard.

 _'You were talking about a mall twice the size of this apartment? What is in it?'_ Kise gives him a genuine, full-blown smile when he reads it. Maybe he hadn't blown it after all.

"Oh, you have no idea. Let me remember. There's a lot of stores and food courts that are just delicious, and you won't believe what they offer for famous people…"

* * *

"Ryouta, come here." Kise curses as he enters his newly settled home. He knew this was coming; it had to. He had outright rejected Kuroko Teru for her brother, whom she hated with an intense passion. Of course he was going to face the consequences.

"Yes, father?" Kise asks carefully. Kise Akito does not look pleased at all, and his mother, Hikari, looks close to murdering him.

"We just got a call from Eiji-san that Teru arrived crying, and when they tried to squeeze it out of her, she just kept saying your name. What did you do?" Akito asks in a severely calm voice, which scares Kise even more. His mother says nothing, merely glaring at him even more harshly.

"I um… Nothing severe happened. I just met her brother in the pool and we were walking to the apartments together when Kuroko-san came." Kise says the truth, or at least half of it, and like expected, his parents are not convinced.

"What else happened?" Akito asks once more in that deadly calm voice, making Kise swallow in terror.

He bites his lip. "I may or may not have ignored her and gone to her brother instead." He finally confesses, but even then, they're still not over the line. Instead, his mother explodes.

"Tell us everything, Ryouta! Your stupid stunt may have costed us a life-time opportunity!"

"I told you everything! Kuroko-san ordered her brother to leave and I went after him because we weren't done talking! That's all that happened. And other stuff, too, but that's not important." Kise adds and looks defiant because he's telling the truth now.

"Then why would she cry because that?" His father asks, still not convinced, and Kise sighs, lacing his fingers through is blond hair.

"I don't know." He says exasperatedly. "Their relationship as siblings is not that… paradisiacal, if you know what I'm saying."

"I'm not following." His father says, crossing his arms. He reads Kise like a book; he knows Kise is hiding one more thing up his sleeve.

"Fine, you want to know what happened so badly?" Kise glares at his father. "She outright told her brother that he didn't have the right to be human, as in, apparently she thinks that he's supposed to be less than one." Kise finally provides the last bit of information and Kise's father looks taken back. So does his mother, who was ready to give Kise a beating had he not provided a more convincing argument.

"What?" Akito says in disbelief, and Kise gives him a knowing look, nodding all the while.

"Yeah, and you, of all people, should know how we're strong supporters of equality. You literally pounded that in me when I was younger. I just couldn't stand there and say nothing!" Kise defends, and their parents look conflicted.

"Are you sure that's what she said?" His mother then asks timidly and Kise nods vigorously.

"Quoted her, even. Look, I know this is something really important to you guys, the whole arranged marriage thing, but you should know me by now. I rarely, if not ever, explode and say something stupid. You guys give me way too much crap." Kise says, almost childishly. He crosses his arms with a "hmph!".

"Ryouta, language." His mother warns but then sighs. "I never would have expected the daughter to be so…"

"Bitchy?" Kise supplies and that earns him a slap to the head by his mother.

"You never call a woman the b-word, do you understand, Ryouta?" Hikari's eyes flash, and Kise nods immediately, not wanting to anger the feminist inside her. And as a feminist himself, he berates himself inside his mind.

"In either case, I'll work something out with Eiji-san. You, Ryouta, are going to try and make it right as well with Teru-chan, understand? I got you her phone number. You are to call her and apologize for your rashness."

"But dad -"

"No buts. This is your responsibility, Ryouta. I understand your point of view, and I honestly would have done the same -"  
"Exactly, so why should I -"

His father raises his hand, shutting Kise off. "If it were a normal person. This, however, is an extremely powerful family that can make or break a company in a split second. As a business major graduate, you should know that very well, Ryouta."

Kise bites back a rebuke because he knows it's true. So painfully true. He sighs and takes the slip of paper containing a set of numbers. "I get it. Just get her to like me again."

His father smiles at him. "You make it sound so easy."

Kise rolls his eyes but knows that their relationship has gone significantly better. They've even begun to joke. "I bet you I'll be back in five minutes with her trying to marry me."

"Ryouta, are you telling me women are easy?" His mother suddenly butts in, her eyebrow arching terribly high, and Kise looks at his father for help.

"You're on your own for this one, Ryouta. You made your own deathbed." Akito clears the path and Hikari immediately pounces. Kise has to rush to his room and lock the door as fast as he can to avoid the wrath of his mother.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Kise shouts while laughing.

"No, you're not, Ryouta!"His mother shouts back, still chasing him.

"I'm a feminist, too! I'm a feminist, mom!" Kise repeats joyously and he knows the rest of the family is laughing with him.

When everything has died down and his mother has given up on trying to open his locked door, he goes to his phone and dials Teru's number. A few rings later, a hoarse voice picks up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Kise Ryouta." He says and there's a pause.

"What do you want?" She asks skeptically.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior right now." Kise says, making his voice sound as sincere as he possible can.

"Hmph. Like you actually mean it." Teru says, and but she sounds uncertain.

"I do." Kise says as sincerely as he can. He mentally thanks his acting skills. "You see, our family is a great supporter of equality of all things, whether it be gender or race, and I'm afraid to say that my upbringings took over my emotions for a brief moment. Human rights, like other subjects, is very sensitive to us and I couldn't keep calm about it. I'm terribly sorry for doing that."

There's another pause. "I had no idea your family felt so strongly about those kinds of things."

Kise chuckles. "Well, we never really talked about it las time. Maybe we could know more about each other if we were to have another dinner together?" Kise brings up smoothly.

One more pause. "Is this weekend ok?" Teru asks timidly.

Kise beams, knowing he's successful in mending things between them. "Of course. I'll tell my father immediately."

"And I'll tell mine. Thank you for clearing things up, Kise-san. I thought you had chosen _him_ over me." The disgust in the word 'him' is clearly evident. Kise bites back a bubbling retort.

"Of course not." He lies. "The way you had treated him was just a bit shocking is all."

"Ah, I apologize for that as well." Teru sounds embarrassed. "I didn't mean to show you such an ugly side of me."

"It's ok. We all have one." Kise passes off easily, but secretly, he hates that. "Well, we'll see you this weekend?" He asks for confirmation and he can practically hear Teru nodding.

"Ok, I'll tell my father. I'll see you then, Kise-san." And the phone clicks off. Kise stretches his back in accomplishment and rolls his eyes at the shuffling he hears from outside his door.

He silently walks and carefully unlocks the door. It swings open and his parents tumble into his room. Kise puts his hands on his hips, his eyebrow arching jokingly.

"Really? You're even more immature than most of the toddlers around here." Kise comments with a smile and his mother stands, dusts herself off, and hits Kise on the head.

"Ow, what was that for?" He exclaims, rubbing the back of his stinging head.

It's his mother's time to put her hands on her hips. "For being a sarcastic little… s word."

"It's ok to say 'shit', honey." Akito provides, which then earns him a hit as well.

"Men are useless." Hikari says humorously but smiles when she's assured that everything's been solved. They leave, feeling a lot more at ease, and Kise's left to his own thoughts.

Kise begins to think about the mysterious teal-haired man. Just today, he's learned many things about him. He doesn't talk, uses a whiteboard to communicate, shows no emotion whatsoever, but the moment it involves his family, he becomes helpless and utterly terrified. Now that Kise thought about it, Kuroko never once opened his mouth; he would either use the board or even ASL to talk for him.

Kise decides to leave the questions aside and just focus on figuring out how to interact with Kuroko more, no matter how discreet he has to be. For the time being, he decides to take him out to the city, Kuroko needs to know what he's missing.

* * *

When the dinner date between the two families happen once more, he makes sure to have a small yellow note ready to go.

The first thing he notices is the lack of Kuroko Tetsuya at the table. There s obviously one chair that is empty, and this time, Kise makes sure to give a good look before he's certain that the teal-haired man isn't there.

The next thing he notices is the fact that the Kuroko family doesn't even acknowledge that they have a family member missing. No, it's more like they _refuse_ to believe that Kuroko Tetsuya even exists as a human being. They have friendly banter, the wife and husband have their loving moments, and Kuroko Teru can't seem to understand personal space, but there is not one mention of the invisible man. It's as if his existence has been erased from their minds and they've allowed it.

The last thing he notices is the maid from before, who had shown him Kuroko's room in the first place. She serves and she obeys, and yet, Kise can see the morose look she has when she passes the empty chair at the dinner table. It's as if she longs for someone to sit there, or more accurately, she longs for Kuroko Tetsuya to sit there.

Kise reaches the conclusion that once, they were all a loving family, but Kuroko somehow did something that made his entire family hate him. It's the only logical explanation Kise can come to, but he can't imagine it. Even after meeting him twice, he knows that Kuroko can do no wrong. He's a very caring person, even without talking aloud. His eyes may be blank, but Kise knows that they hold multiple, complicated emotions that he obviously cannot express very well. It makes him even more curious than before, and that willpower drives him immensely. He wants to know more about this mysterious man - rather, it's more precise to say that he _craves_ to know more about him.

So, he finds the perfect moment to excuse himself from the crowd. He uses the same excuse as before, and it's plausible enough for the families to not suspect a thing. Kuroko Eiji almost calls for the maid again, to show him where the bathroom is once more, but Kise stops him at the last second, telling him that he remembers where it is. Eiji smiles, complimenting Akito for producing such a smart and intelligent son, and Akito beams, winking at his son for a job well done. Kise can't help but roll his eyes mentally.

He leaves the area, ignoring the longing look Teru gives him, and casually walks to the corner where the 'bathroom' is supposed to be. When he's no longer in sight, he moves cautiously, without any noise, to Kuroko's room. He knocks twice, and he can barely hear the shuffling inside the room. When the door opens, Kise gives him a quiet smile, and Kuroko still has his blank face, expressing no shock or surprise. Kise puts his finger on his lips as Kuroko's slightly fall apart, a sight he hasn't seen, which then interests him greatly, and grabs Kuroko's hand. Kuroko doesn't struggle because he's been told to be silent, clamping his mouth shut, and quickly, Kise covers both his hands onto Kuroko's. He then smiles mischeviously, and leaves.

Kuroko waits until the blond is out of sight, and slowly unfolds the yellow note Kise had stuffed into his hand. He can still feel the warmth radiating from the strange man, and his eyes widen slightly at the words written on it.

 _'Tomorrow, 2pm, meet me at the swimming pool in the corner. I'll show the time of your life. Signed, Kise Ryouta.'_

* * *

 **So, how was it? Good, bad, meh? Tell me in the comments!**

 **This was definitely a filler, but I don't think I can complain. I've always hated stories where it just progressed too quickly, and would always long for a more slow burn story, where a lot more detail was added. I hope you felt the same, but if you didn't, don't be afraid to tell me and I might take some unnecessary things in the future :)**

 **Next chapter will focus more on Kise trying to progress his relationship with Kuroko, and please note that Kise still isn't at the point of saying he loves Kuroko. Like I said, I want this story to progress with more detail. It'll come eventually (of, course if I become tired with this story in the near future or I have writer's block, I may have no choice but to make the plot go faster). Please understand if this does happen**

 **Anyways, that's it for me and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it!**

 **(Also, for those wondering about the new story, no, I will not tell you the title - but it will fit the story marvelously - and no, I won't reveal any other plot I've thought of. And yes, this started because my best friend wholeheartedly gave me the idea - or, she accidentally gave it to me and I decided to torture her with it.)**

 **Peace,**

 **FlyAndDontLookBack**


	3. As the Calm Ends

**I feel like I just upload stories maybe twice a year, because 7 months for a single chapter is insane. I apologize for being so late but school had been kicking my ass like always and I was really unsure of where this story would go. Well, thankfully, I finally have everything planned out for this (especially the ending), so let's hope that I can finish this story before the year ends (GOALS TOO HIGH MAN)**

 **Having planned everything out, this will be a small story, with only about 6 chapters long because I really don't want to drag this out and have you guys wait an eternity for this, so note that I will change the pace to a more faster one. Also, I will be replacing the first two chapters with a better quality version of it because jfc, I DO NOT like how the first two chapters are. Be sure to look out for that :)**

 **Anyways, check out my recent stories of AoKaga and MidoTaka, and please await my next update!**

 **So, without further ado, here is the next chapter!**

* * *

 ** _Note: This story is loosely based off a Korean webtoon known as HOOD. As of late, there is no English translation. All credits go to the author._**

* * *

Kise hates waiting. But here he is, waiting at the swimming pool corner where he had met the mysterious teal-haired man for the second time accidentally. He glances at the clock that has seemed to go infinitely slower just to spit him, the minute hand barely ticking to the next number. 30 minutes had already passed since their meeting time, and at this point, Kise is close to giving up. He was never a patient man, especially since he always had such a tight schedule to go around, and all this waiting without producing any outcome is even angering him slightly.

He's sure he put 2PM on the small note and he's (slightly) sure that Kuroko had read it. If so, why wasn't he coming? Had something happened with him that prevented him from coming on time? Was he being prevented to come by his own family? Or did he just not want to go with him?

Kise decides that being negative will only bring him down. He stays in his seat, the same one he had sat on the previous time he came here, and looks at the clock one more time. The minute hand finally touches 35 and Kise's now getting desperate. Here he is, waiting for a phantom man that might not even show up, and for what? Sure, he's curious about the teal-haired man but this is just becoming a strain. There is only so much willpower the blond has when it comes to waiting for a man that might not even be interested.

Ten more minutes, he thinks, as he stares at the clock with intensity. People gather around him, trying to get him to talk and converse, but he dismisses them quickly, telling them that he would like to be alone. Of course, that doesn't necessarily make them leave, but they at least respect his words enough to not talk to him, just silently admire.

He begins tapping his fingers on the table beside him. A waiter comes to him and asks if there is anything he would like to drink and Kise declines, wanting to get that rainbow crushed ice he had been describing to Kuroko back then. Just ten more minutes, he thinks, and if he doesn't show up, Kise'll just leave and go to the coffee shop himself.

But even after ten minutes, Kise doesn't move from his seat. The clock strikes 2:45, only fifteen minutes till three, and Kise's feet start jittering in anxiousness. Why in the world is Kuroko so late? Is he really not coming? Does he really not want to spend the day with Kise?

"Excuse me, are you waiting for someone?" A woman with a lacy summer dress comes up to him and asks. He doesn't have time to look at her and merely nods. She smiles at him, for what purpose, Kise doesn't know, but she walks up to him and begins to take the seat next to him. Kise's about to reject her, to tell her that he would rather be alone, but the woman suddenly cries out in surprise and Kise immediately turns to her to see that she's standing up, looking at the seat in horror.

"Ma'am, what's wro —" He begins to ask but he suddenly sees a shocking wave of teal hair and soon enough, his eyes lay on the one and only Kuroko Tetsuya, his whiteboard in front of his stomach, staring absentmindedly at the woman, who is still frozen in shock.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there!" She apologizes before running away in embarrassment. Kise doesn't even acknowledge it as he continues to stare wide-eyed at the mysterious man. Kuroko turns his head slightly to match Kise's gaze and for a few seconds, they have a staring match.

Then, "Kuroko-kun, wha— when did you get here?" Kise exclaims as he continues to process that Kuroko is right here, at the swimming pool corner, just as Kise had asked him to in the small note.

Kuroko takes his whiteboard and quickly scribbles something in perfect handwriting. _'About 30 minutes ago.'_

Kise gapes at the answer. "So you were here at 2?"

 _'A bit over 2. I apologize for arriving late.'_

"That doesn't matter! Why didn't you signal me that you were here? I thought you bailed me on me or something." Kise accuses, slightly overjoyed that his worst-case scenario didn't happen.

Kuroko blinks before writing. _'I did, but you didn't see me. I was waving my whiteboard in front of you but you were so fixated on the clock that I couldn't get your attention.'_

Kise flushes in embarrassment.. "Then why didn't you touch me on the shoulder or something? That definitely would've gotten my attention."

 _'That would be rude of me. I barely know you, Kise-san.'_

Kise understands that. Kuroko is a very respectful man, who definitely takes into consideration other people's feelings. He sighs but quickly dispels any more questions he has. They've wasted enough time as it is. He stands up, stretching his sore, unused muscles, and looks at Kuroko with a gleam in his eyes. "Well then, since we've met up, let's go."

Kuroko doesn't get up. Instead, he writes, _'Where are we going, Kise-san? Exactly what did you mean when you wrote '_ I'll show you the time of your life' _?'_

Kise gives him a mischievous smile. "I'm not telling you. You're just going to have to follow me to know."

Kuroko blinks at him, clearly not happy with the vague answer. _'Kise-san, I sincerely apologize for being so rude but I do not like surprises. Please tell me where we are going.'_

"Do you have to go back home soon?" Kise asks in worry and sighs in relief when Kuroko shakes his head. "Then, what's wrong?"

 _'I just do not like surprises.'_

"Even though it's not going to hurt you in any way?" Kise probes and Kuroko shakes his head once more.

 _'I never know how to react to surprises, which have made people feel disappointed or angry at times. My face does not contort as easily as other people do.'_

Kise looks at the teal-haired man and sees just a glimpse of moroseness in Kuroko's eyes. So, he's been in situations where he's offended someone he had never wanted to offend? Kise has definitely had those moments himself, but he could always handle them because he could often use his charm to his advantage. It was never a problem for him to be sociable and have many people around him.

But look at the smaller man in front of him, he can see how Kuroko would be afraid of surprises. Just by his physical features, Kuroko is not a man of expressions. He can't even talk, for crying out loud, so how could he ever imagine to portray joy or surprise? And Kise can also see how hyperaware Kuroko is of his surroundings. He wants to cause the least trouble possible for people, whether it be his family or strangers in general. And for some reason, Kise wants to protect him from all of that.

The blond smiles Kuroko softly. "Ok, I get it. You've never been to the mall, right?" When Kuroko nods, he nudges him slightly. "That's where we're going, idiot. You have to try the rainbow crushed ice, remember? It'll change your world, I swear."

Kuroko looks at him briefly and contemplates on whether to write something to retort Kise's words. When he can't, however, his shoulders rise and fall, signifying his defeat, and he stands up as well. Kise beams when Kuroko looks at him expectedly, as if to tell him to lead the way, and he takes Kuroko's wrist in joy.

"Come on, we already wasted an hour. I _will_ show you the time of your life. I promise."

* * *

The moment they enter the mall, which is notably twice the size of Kuroko's flat, the teal-haired man can't mask his emotions. His eyes widen, though his mouth is still clamped shut, and Kise glances at him with a knowing look.

"I told you, didn't I? It's huge." Kise remarks as they walk up to a directory. There are thousands of shops and food courts written on the board and it's such a complex building that both males know that some time or another, they will get lost.

"Where do you want to go?" Kise asks but Kuroko is mesmerized by the shining directory board. His eyes scan the whole perimeter, reading all the names in order and matching them to their respective corners, and it's such a rare sight to Kise, having Kuroko so interested in something besides his light novel, that he can't help but admire Kuroko's features. His skin is so pale and white that he almost looks like a life-like doll. His eyes glimmer like blue skies and his lips are small but petite. Kise tilts his head to get a better look but Kuroko turns his head towards him at the same time, making their faces extremely close, almost as if Kise is about to kiss him.

Kise blushes greatly from the sudden action, noticing how close their faces are and the awkward position they're in, and quickly turns away, unable to notice Kuroko's reaction.

"Sorry." Kise stutters as he takes a small peek at Kuroko. He does a double take when he sees that Kuroko's cheeks are lightly flushed as well, but it must be his imagination. "Do you want to go somewhere?"

Kuroko writes something on his whiteboard and holds it up. _'There is a bookstore nearby. May we go there?'_

Kise smiles, half-expecting that answer already. "Sure, and the coffee shop is a few blocks down the bookstore so we can visit that afterwards." He says as they start walking.

Immediately, everyone is drawn to Kise because of his reputation as a model and actor. There are flashes of phones as many try to takes pictures and videos of him, some of them shoving paper and pen so that he can sign them, and others trying to get close to him for a nice chat. Kise, since he has to keep up the cheerful facade, gives everyone a model smile and tries to accommodate their needs. However, in doing so, he completely loses sight of Kuroko and it's not until he's gotten through everyone in the crowd that he realizes that.

"Kuroko-kun?" He calls out and quickly looks at his surroundings in panic. Did he lose Kuroko in the massive crowd? Kise walks around quickly, desperately searching for any sign of sky blue hair, but with everyone crowding him in a circle, it's impossible to get anywhere.

The bookstore, Kise thinks in a heap of madness, and starts running, leaving the crowd stunned. Most of the crowd start to run with him, clearly trying to get more pictures and videos of the ever famous Kise Ryouta, but the star himself doesn't pay them any heed as he rushes to the store and takes a look at the cashier's line with hard eyes. To his relief, he sees teal hair waiting with a handful of books.

He saunters up to Kuroko, who has noticed the blond by now, and though the people waiting in line before him all whisper in excitement and ecstasy at how they're really close to Kise and how this is a lifetime opportunity, his only attention is towards the mysterious teal-haired man.

"Why did you suddenly leave like that without telling me?" Kise says in a hurt tone and Kuroko has to jostle his whiteboard from shoulder to give him an answer. Kise rolls his eyes before going into the line to carry Kuroko's books for him, and waits patiently for Kuroko to write.

 _'I am sorry. The crowd pushed me away from you and I had no way to go back in, so I decided that I would go to the bookstore first and meet up with you again once you were done.'_

"And you didn't take into consideration that I might have finished up before you and left to another place?"

 _'I assumed that even if we were separated, we would meet either here or the coffee shop.'_

Kise tries to retort him but he's right. Those two places are exactly where Kise would've gone if he were to ever lose Kuroko in the crowd. "I mean, yeah, but still. You shouldn't disappear like that, Kuroko-kun. You're practically invisible." He comments and bites his lip soon afterwards, realizing his offending remark a bit too late. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. What I meant to say is —"

Kuroko shows the whiteboard to Kise before he can finish his sentence. _'I am not offended, Kise-san. My friend often says that to me, so I am used to it.'_

Kise rubs the back of his neck. "Right." He replies awkwardly. He then looks down to see Kuroko's collection of books. Most are light novels but there is a hard-cover book called _A Thousand Cranes_ that interests Kise greatly. The cover is beautifully done, much like an ancient Japanese painting. In the cover, there is a black and white crane with a single red circle on its back, craning its neck to make a curve that goes all the way down, and its wings spread out wide. Its feet grasp a small branch, making it clear that the crane is adjusting itself to the small support base, and behind the background, the blue shimmers. Whether it is the sky or the ocean, Kise can't distinguish.

"What's this about?" Kise asks as he holds the novel. Kuroko looks at it for a second and shrugs.

 _'Something I have been wanting to read for some time now.'_ Kuroko answers vaguely and while Kise isn't satisfied, he passes it off and remembers the title so that he can read it for himself one day. The body language of Kuroko when he's shown the book is something that is out of the ordinary and that's more than enough to make Kise more curious.

Finally, it's their turn and the cashier, a young man in his late twenties, looks at Kise in contemplation for a second before recognition flashes before his eyes. "You're Kise Ryouta, aren't you?" He asks and Kise nods.

"Indeed I am." He says with a smile and the man's eyes widen.

"My girlfriend loves you, man! Mind if I take a picture with you?" He asks, completely ignoring the teal-haired man waiting for his books to be purchased.

Kise sees that, as well as the other people in the line, impatiently waiting for their turn. "Maybe later. Can you scan these, please?"

The man scoffs. "If you take a picture with me, these will be all on the house." He says with a grin, the glint in his eye telling Kise that it's offer he can't refuse, and he's about to agree when he feels a small tug from behind. He turns around to see Kuroko and is both startled and confused when he sees the teal-haired man's aura darkening.

"What's up, Kuroko-kun? Don't you want to get these for free?" Kise asks, pointing to his mountain of books.

Kuroko shakes his head violently before writing viciously on the whiteboard. _'I do not like charity, Kise-san. I would like to pay for my books, please.'_

Kise doesn't understand Kuroko. He doesn't understand his modesty, his over-respectfulness, and his beliefs, but he can respect the man for following them constantly. It makes Kise think about his own actions he has take thus far. So, he turns to the cashier and says, "My friend here would like to pay for his books. I don't mind a picture, though, as long as other customers don't have to wait." He suggests and the man beams.

"On it." He replies as he quickly scans the books. Kuroko pays for them — though Kise sees from the corner of his eye that he barely has enough to pay for all of them — and the man calls up another employer to take his place. Quickly, he leaves his spot and the two take several pictures. The man looks extremely happy as he sends the pictures to his girlfriend and he pats Kise on the back.

"You know, I was really skeptical of you in the beginning, since there were only talks about you being really kind and whatnot, but after today, I'm starting to believe them. You really care about your friends and people's opinions, don't you? You're a good guy, Kise Ryouta." The man comments and Kise can't help but feel very touched.

"Thank you, cashier-san." Kise says, genuinely emotional that someone would say such heart-felt things to him, and the man smiles once more.

"Come to the store anytime." He says before shooing off the employer and going back to work. Kise looks at the cashier man once more as he and Kuroko walk out.

 _'You seem happy, Kise-san.'_ The whiteboard says as Kuroko puts it in front of his face. Kise reads it with a small smile.

"Being famous means that there's always going to be bad rumors about you going around. It doesn't hurt as much as when I first got the comment, but I could never understand why people would go through such lengths to try and establish something that isn't true. It's nice to have people change their minds about me, you know?"

 _'Being famous must be tough.'_ The whiteboard sympathizes and Kise agrees.

"It is, but you get used to it over time. I should've been a bit more careful, though. I should've prepared a disguise or something, you know?"

Kuroko's shoulders suddenly vibrate and Kise looks at him strangely before realizing that he's laughing. With his eyes crinkling like that, there's no doubt about it. Kuroko Tetsuya, a man with seemingly no emotions, is laughing.

"What's so funny?" Kise can't help but ask, curious but also intrigued. The vibration in Kuroko's shoulders stop and Kuroko's eyes revert to its original nature.

 _'I just imagined Kise-san wearing a fake mustache and a monocle.'_ Kuroko even has the time to draw small sketches of the adornments at the bottom of the whiteboard, and Kise finds that absolutely adorable.

Kise blanches out before whole-heartedly laughing. "Is that how you imagine a disguise to be, Kuroko-kun? Really?" He asks before laughing once more. Kise believes he hasn't a laugh like this in a long time.

Kuroko shrugs. _'What are your disguises normally like, Kise-san?'_

Kise thinks for a second before a shine catches his eyes. He sees a clothes store, perfectly barren and with a style he enjoys as well as several different kinds of accessories displayed outside. He smiles mischievously as he pulls Kuroko's wrist.

"I'll show you." He says as they walk into the store. The staff members, two women wearing very uncomfortable uniforms, gasp when they see Kise in the flesh. Immediately, they rush to him, unable to see Kuroko and unintentionally pushing him out of the way, and ask him how they can accommodate such a famous person.

Kise sees Kuroko rudely pushed away and he points at him, making the women follow his finger until they finally Kuroko themselves. In embarrassment, they bow in apology to Kuroko, who's very uncomfortable with that, and they ask both customers what they are looking for today.

Kise begins browsing with Kuroko, asking him whether such and such clothes match him, and by the end of it, Kise has bought a coat, a hat, and with the help of one of the staff woman, who went out her way to find what Kise had been needing, he also obtains a black wig. Kuroko, on other hand, has nothing and while Kise begs him to let him buy something for him, Kuroko adamantly refuses.

 _'I do not need any more clothes, Kise-san. Thank you for offering.'_

Kise's not convinced. "Are you sure, Kuroko-kun? I can really provide for both of us. It's not such a hassle." When Kuroko shakes his head and puts his foot down on the conversation, Kise sighs but doesn't ask anymore.

Kise quickly puts on his disguise, doing his best to cover his blond hair with the wig, uses the hat to mask most of his face, and when the final product is done, Kuroko scrutinizes him.

Then, _'Maybe my thinking of disguises is a bit outdated.'_

Kise puts his hands to his hips in a 'I told you so' manner, but his smile tells Kuroko that he's merely joking. "No kidding. Who would wear a fake mustache these days, anyways?"

 _'Sherlock Holmes.'_

"Now you're just pulling my leg. Come on, lets go to the coffee shop. Prepare to have your mind blown."

And before the two know it, the day is over from a very eventful day at the mall, and Kise can't help but want more. More interaction, more surprises, and to his very astonishment, more of the mysterious teal haired man.

* * *

Throughout the next few weeks, Kise develops a routine. During the weekdays, he spends time with Kuroko Teru, making sure that he makes his parents happy by making her happy. Each day he spends with her, he puts more of his charm on her, and it works perfectly. She's become more and more enraptured by Kise and though he himself wants nothing more but to spend another day with the mysterious teal haired man, he needs to be patient. He still has to keep up this facade for the wellbeing of his family, no matter how much he wants to break from it.

He knows the rocky relationship the siblings have, though still in dark with the reason for it, and he knows never to mention the forbidden name while she's around. During these weekdays when he spends time with Teru, though they spend most of their time outside, they also spend time inside the house, chatting about insignificant, almost trivial and boring things. During those times when Kise has a chance to embark on the house without an excuse, Kise makes sure to use small notes to tell Kuroko where and when to meet for the weekends. When he can't go in, somehow or another, they always end up meeting at the swimming pool. It's like faith wants them to meet, which Kise is grateful for.

Kise looks forward to the weekends the most. It's the only time he and Kuroko can meet without Teru knowing. For the Kuroko family, golfing is a tradition that they uphold every Saturday and Sunday. They go out in the early morning, leaving Kuroko behind like always, and don't come back until late in the evening because they eat outside, leaving both the house and Kuroko alone. It's the perfect time for him to sneak out with Kise so that they can go to various places that Kuroko's never been to, and Kise always makes sure to bring back Kuroko to his house before the family can return.

Having a secret that is only known for the two of them, it makes Kise's heart rush for reasons he still can't understand. Having a bond that no one else can have, it makes Kise want to feel more and more. It's become almost like an addiction, one that Kise doesn't mind having.

This time, instead of going to one of Kise's favorite restaurants, he asks Kuroko if, for today, they can just spend the time around the apartment. He isn't specific about where he's about to take the teal-haired man because, even knowing the fact that Kuroko hates surprises, Kise is sure that he won't mind this one. He's sure that the reaction Kuroko is going to have is awe. Besides, that's the emotion he had when he first found it.

He found a pathway to the rooftop of the apartment a few days before asking, just when he was getting sick and tired of entertaining Teru. He needed an escape way and he so happened to find a small pathway to the roof, where no guards were protecting it. It was a beautiful scenery when he came across it and he knew that he had to show the mysterious teal-haired man.

So, when weekend comes, Kise waits for Kuroko outside of his house and the door opens slightly, enough room for Kuroko to slowly slip out. Kise smiles at him and grabs his wrists in excitement as he desperately wants to show Kuroko the rooftop. They walk up the pathway, but Kuroko seems extremely hesitant. Before Kise can open the door, Kuroko stops him with a tug of the wrist. Kise looks backs and see Kuroko fumbling with his whiteboard. The blond's a bit troubled by the action.

"Is there something wrong?" He asks, worry lacing his tone. Kuroko fumbles a bit more, his fingers rubbing against each other, as if he's scared of something.

Then, _'No, there is nothing wrong.'_

"You look like you know what this place is." Kise comments, though he can't conceal his disappointment.

It's so noticeable that Kuroko hastily writes, _'No, I still have no idea where we are going.'_

Kuroko's poker face is convincing enough (or maybe it's just Kise's hopes getting in the way) that the blond nods happily and slowly begins to open the door.

"Prepare to be amazed, Kuroko-kun." Kise admonishes with glee before fully entering the roof. As the two enter, Kise begins to twirl blissfully, freely, and the wind begins to dance with him.

"What do you think? Pretty awesome, right?" Kise asks as he turns back to Kuroko. To his surprise, however, Kuroko's fists are clenched and he's hiding behind his bangs. Kise stops his movements and walks up to him slowly.

"Kuroko-kun, are you sure everything is ok?" Kise asks in worry as he puts a hand on his shoulder. Kuroko jumps from the sudden touch, accidentally brushing away the hand, and the two look at each other quietly, both of them in shock.

Then, hastily, Kuroko writes on his whiteboard. _'I apologize for being so rude, Kise-san. I did not mean to brush your hand away like that.'_ He then bows deeply, making Kise a bit distressed.

"No, it's completely fine." Kise reassures, but begins to rub his neck in awkwardness. "I just didn't think you'd react this way once I showed you where we were going. Sorry, do you not like the rooftop?"

Kuroko shakes his head after a slight hesitation, long enough for Kise to notice, and writes once more. _'No, it is not that I do not like the rooftop. I just had an incident here that made me a hesitate a bit. I am sorry for hurting your feelings, Kise-san.'_

Kise's eyes narrow slightly, a bit disconcerted that Kuroko had known the rooftop in the past and was lying to him a few minutes ago, but more importantly than that, his curiosity heightens. "So you've already been here. What happened?"

 _'I apologize for lying. I knew where we were going but you looked like you really wanted to show me this, so I couldn't tell you.'_ Kuroko refuses to write more, making it obviously clear that he's not going to tell Kise what happened any time soon.

"Should we go to another place, then? We can still go to the restaurant I was talking about." KIse proposes because if there's anything he doesn't want to do, it's making Kuroko feel upset about being with him. His curiosity may be eating him alive, but he would do anything for this man.

Thankfully (because Kise really loves this place), Kuroko shakes his head. _'No, this place is ok.'_

Kise smiles gratefully and the two settle on chairs that Kise had put a few days back. They're beach chairs, ones that everyone can see when going to the beach or the ocean, and it's big and comfortable enough for them to slide down to the position they desire and enjoy the view.

It's five in the afternoon, close to six, and they can see the sun slowly starting to go down. Since the rooftop is so high, they can barely see any buildings, making the sky clearly visible. No longer it's normal teal shade, with the sun falling down, the sky changes color: orange, red, and even some purple. Kise breathes in deeply, loving the atmosphere of the rooftop and admires the kaleidoscopic sky.

"Isn't it beautiful, Kuroko-kun?" Kise asks dreamily and Kuroko nods silently. Kise glances at the teal-haired man for a second and sees that, just like he had been a few seconds go, Kuroko himself is entranced by the beauty of the sky. But for some reason, his eyes are shaking, making Kise even more worried than before.

"Is something the matter, Kuroko-kun? You seem a bit… agitated."

Kuroko shakes his head a bit too quickly, confirming Kise's suspicions even more, and he writes, _'There is nothing wrong, Kise-san. Please, enjoy the scenery.'_ Kuroko evades but it's not subtle enough for Kise to miss. His characters are also shaking, losing its calligraphic touch.

Everything about the teal-haired man is so enigmatic, baffling even, that no matter how much Kise tries to pry, instead of getting information, he's just getting more questions. He knows he shouldn't be so bold in asking until he gets Kuroko's trust but it's getting frustrating, not having at least one question answered.

Kise is close to asking the million dollar question, just why he can't talk, but he bites his lip at the last second. If he were to ask anything that would possibly offend Kuroko, it would be highly possible for the teal-haired man to never meet up with him again. If that were the case, then Kise would rather sacrifice his everlasting curiosity than his friendship.

So, instead, he asks, "Is there anything you like, Kuroko-kun? I've been taking you to all different kinds of places but I've never really asked your opinion on things. Is there any place you'd like to go next weekend?"

Kuroko stays motionless, merely gazing at the slowly changing sky. Just before Kise can give up on getting any answers, he scribbles on the whiteboard. _'Maybe to a burger place next time?'_

Kise reads it and looks up in confusion. "A burger place? Why?"

 _'My friend and I always go to Maji Burger after we have our usual basketball match and I have taken a liking to the vanilla milkshakes they sell there.'_

Now there's some information about the mysterious teal haired man that Kise has never known about. "You play basketball?" He asks, his eyes gleaming like a child's.

Kuroko nods. _'Do you play basketball as well, Kise-san?'_ When the blond nods enthusiastically, Kuroko gives him a small smile. _'I wish you could join me and my friend.'_

Something about those words make it seem like Kuroko has only one friend in the world. Maybe he does. Kise hates feeling so sorry when it comes to Kuroko. "Maybe I can."

Kuroko turns his head towards Kise's direction, scrutinizing him. _'But you have to be with my sister, Kise-san. She loves you greatly.'_

Kise's face distorts slightly at the mention of Teru, and that single face change is enough to make Kuroko's eyes darken. _'Kise-san, you must be with my sister.'_ He emphasizes.

"But Kuroko-kun, I'd like to play basketball with you."

 _'I am sorry. I was selfish to even mention it. My sister —'_ Kise stops him from writing, already knowing what Kuroko is thinking at the moment.

"I am doing whatever means possible to make Kuroko-san happy. But I also have my own personal life, and in my own personal life, I play basketball. I'm not trying to sound arrogant or anything, but I do think I'm pretty good at the sport, and I'd like to play with you some time. Is that not possible?" Kise questions, making Kuroko hesitate for a moment.

 _'But my sister…'_

"I can still be with her. Just one day is all I ask. I can tell her that a business thing came up and we can meet at a court with your friend. Please."

Kuroko bites his lip, unable to think of a proper answer because Kise is utilizing his puppy dog eyes, which are extremely effective. Those golden eyes should be prohibited because Kuroko can't think straight when he's gazing straight at them. He sighs but nods, his hand clutching the whiteboard marker tightly before writing a simple, _'Ok.'_

Kise grins in joy but can't help but notice how even more unsettled Kuroko looks now. Could it be that he doesn't hate his sister as much as his sister hates him? How does that even work? He would hate his sisters if they hated him back.

Kise decides to change the topic because it's evident that all this talk about Kuroko's sister is making him very upset. "What's your friend like?"

At that question, Kuroko's shoulders visibly relax and he even shines another small smile. _'He is one of the most kind and passionate people I have ever met.'_ Kuroko writes and there's small pang in Kise's chest that he doesn't recognize. It's different from the feeling he has been harboring for some time now every time he meets with Kuroko. The feeling is more dark, extremely uncomfortable, and borderline infuriating. He feels a bit of anger, which Kise doesn't understand, but overall, he feels sadness at the rare reactions Kuroko is giving him because of this 'friend' person.

"How did you meet him?" Kise questions, trying his best to push down this dark feeling.

 _'At school a few years ago. We met by chance when he almost ran over me.'_

"He what?" Kise shrieks as he reads the kanji. Kuroko looks over what he just wrote and his eyes widen before quickly erasing those words and replacing them with others.

 _'I meant that he almost ran into me. He is very tall and muscular that it would have felt like being run over. I apologize for the misunderstanding.'_

So even Kuroko can make mistakes. That's good to know because for a while, Kise had be fantasizing the teal-haired man as more than human. Now, he's sure he can look at Kuroko as another human being. "And then?"

 _'We found out we were both in the basketball team and since then, we have been almost inseparable.'_

"Were you… Could you not speak then as well?" Kise can't help but ask. The question catches Kuroko off guard, making the whiteboard fall from his hand. His lips open just a bit and this may have been the first time Kise actually sees Kuroko's lips open.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to ask that!" Kise quickly apologizes, bowing his head and panicking on the inside for saying something so insensitive.

A few seconds pass before Kuroko gives him a reaction: a head shake. He quickly writes, _'No, it is alright, Kise-san. Yes, I could not verbalize then as well. But my friend saw past that because he did not care. And for that, I am extremely grateful to him.'_

"He must be a really friendly guy, huh?" Kise comments, the feeling coming back to him like a brick to his head, and Kuroko nods.

 _'I believe you two will like each other.'_

"Maybe I'll even challenge him to a basketball match for Kurokocchi's attention." Kise says unintentionally, his head completely blank as he says it. It's like the dark feeling has completely taken over him.

There's a few moments of silence as Kise's words soar above their heads. Kise's frozen, his face slowly becoming redder that he has to cover them with his hands as much as he can. Kuroko is frozen as well, his eyes unreadable but his eyebrows raised high enough to signify surprise and astonishment.

Slowly, he writes, _'Kurokocchi?'_

Kise can't even bear to look at Kuroko in the eye after such an embarrassing moment. He doesn't respond, refusing to even look at the whiteboard, and Kuroko's impatient enough to shove the words to his face. Kise reads it eventually but that just makes the situation worse.

He yelps in chagrin, covering his face even more so that Kuroko can't see his extremely red face. "I'm sorry! It's an old habit that I have where I tend to add the suffix -cchi to people I've come to respect. I didn't realize it until I actually said it."

 _'You respect me?'_ Kuroko asks after another silence and Kise tilts his head in confusion that the reaction Kuroko has just given him. Why does he look like he's about to cry?

"Of course I do, Kuroko-kun! I find you a very respectable person." Kise defends, embarrassment forgotten immediately.

Kuroko looks like he wants to say something — not with his whiteboard but with his actual voice this time — but quickly denies it and instead writes, _'You did not use the suffix this time.'_

"Ah, I thought you wouldn't like it. I've had various people tell me that they didn't like how I put that suffix after their name, so after a while, I decided to change my thinking. Guess old habits die hard, don't they?" Kise says with a small chuckle, a small amount of embarrassment back again.

 _'You should not change for other people, Kise-san. You are your own person. You do not have to change if what you are doing is not hurting anybody.'_

"Eh?" Kise lets out as he reads what Kuroko has written. He then rubs the back of his neck, somewhat flattered because it's been some time since someone had said something so truthful to him. "Thanks. Do you mind if I call you Kurokocchi from now on?"

Kuroko shakes his head and even though the smile he gives Kise is infinitesimal, it's enough to let Kise feel something weird in his chest again. It's back to the more cheerful, bubbly feeling, which Kise enjoys a lot more.

The blond clears his throat. "So, maybe next Tuesday? I'd really like to meet this friend of yours and even better if he's a strong opponent."

Kuroko nods, though a bit hesitantly. _'I shall ask him. We normally meet at the park next to Maji Burger's at 5 in the afternoon. There, we play with some other people until it grows dark.'_

"Sounds promising. I'll definitely make time for it." Kise agrees and the two let the silence take over them for a moment as they watch the sun go down, taking all the red and orange with it. The sky, now with more purple undertones, starts to fill with barely visible stars and the night goes chilly, the wind picking up its pace slightly.

Kuroko takes a deep breath as he slides down the chair, his lips opening slightly once more. The sight intrigues the blond man as he wonders even further what lies behind those closed doors but knows that he will never be able to get an answer from the teal-haired man. He can if he gets closer to him, exactly Kise's goal.

So, getting comfortable in the chair himself, Kise breaks the quiet mood. "Do you have any hobbies, Kurokocchi?"

Kuroko looks at Kise curiously for a second. Then, _'Basketball, mostly. But I also enjoy reading. What about you, Kise-san?'_

"-Kun." Kise interrupts as he reads Kuroko's words. Kuroko tilts his head to side, slightly confused. "You can write Kise-kun, or Kise, or maybe even Ryouta. I'm not really picky with name calling, to be honest, but since we're becoming closer as friends, I thought it'd be nice to lose the formalities. I mean, I'm calling you Kurokocchi, aren't I?" Kise explains, his face lightly tinted with red as he can't get over the fact that he's able to call Kuroko that.

Kuroko ponders for a second and the realizes that Kise is right. _'Then I shall write Kise-kun from now on, if you don't mind. I believe I will not be able to go to first name bases for a long time.'_

Kise nods, already expecting such answer. "Understandable." He replies. "For hobbies, I would also definitely go for basketball. I've been playing the sport since middle school and I haven't let go of it since. But I've been known to be a real beast when it comes to karaoke." Kise smiles with joking arrogance that Kuroko picks up on easily.

 _'I would like to hear you sing, Kise-kun.'_

There's another pang in his chest that Kise can't identify. The feeling's definitely there but Kise can't explain it well enough with words. He feels warm and his heart is pounding a bit too quickly, though he hasn't done any strenuous exercise. He feels like there's something wrong with him because he's never felt this way before.

"Maybe we can go to to a karaoke bar then. I have to warn you though, I won't be able to control myself when it comes to singing. I'll keep going until my vocal chords dry out."

Kuroko's shoulders rise and fall quickly, his eyelids crinkling, his cheeks turning a bit red, and his lips, though covered with his hand, definitely rising from the tips. Kuroko's laughing and the sight of it makes Kise want to see more. He wants to take a picture to cherish this moment and to see it again constantly. The feeling inside his chest grows.

 _'I cannot wait.'_ Kuroko writes and for the rest of the evening, before 8 o'clock can strike and they have to depart again, the two spend the rest of the time they have together chatting, laughing, and paying no attention to the world, only to themselves.

Kise can't identify this feeling he is harboring in his heart, but after separating from the now not so mysterious teal-haired man, he decides that he doesn't hate the feeling and rather than rejecting it, he now basks in it in hopes of understanding just what this feeling is.

Later, he finds out that this feeling he had been harboring for so long has been and always will be love.

* * *

 **So, how was it? Good, bad, meh? Tell me in the reviews!**

 **I really hope you like this chapter and, just like the chapter name implies, this is just the calm before the storm. The next few chapters are going be a real hurricane.**

 **I really don't like the pacing as I feel like I'm jumping all over the place, so I'm going to do my best of replacing that while I replace the first two chapters, and if I can do it right, then I'll be immensely satisfied.**

 **I apologize for anyone who wanted this to be a longer story but with the lack of time i have, and the fear of dragging the story out, I will limit this to 6ish chapters. I wouldn't want to bore you guys with endless chatter of Kise and Kuroko getting to know each other. It'd bore me out for sure.**

 **Thank you for supporting me and (constantly) late story updates and please await the next one soon (I hope)**

 **Peace,**

 **FlyAndDontLookBack**


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